Do any of these resonate with you?
Feeling Stuck
You live paycheck-to-paycheck or are recovering from a traumatic life event. Or, maybe you feel like you'll never get out of debt and don't know if you'll retire when you'd like.
Having Long-Term Goals
Inflation Woes
The rising costs of goods and services has you losing sleep at night, and you are worried you won't be able to stay afloat and will have to make difficult sacrifices.
Making Career Decisions
Your heart is set on buying a home, expanding your family size, starting a business, or other big dreams, but you don't see any way you could ever pay for these big-ticket items.
Lack of Clarity
You believe you make a decent income, but you're frustrated it never seems to be enough and you don't know why the money seems to quickly disappear after it hits your bank account.
Wanting to Give More
You want to go above-and-beyond to bless your family or give charitably more often, but extra giving beyond your day-to-day obligations doesn't ever seem feasible.
Maybe you lost your job and don't know your next steps. Or, perhaps you enjoy your current work but you're wondering if you'll need to switch jobs to find something with higher pay.
Meet Your Coach
Hello, I'm Eric. I am a committed husband, loyal friend, and knowledgeable financial coach. Family and friends would likely tell you I'm a compassionate listener, strong communicator, patient teacher, and willing helper. When I'm not coaching, you might find me camping, hiking, birdwatching, playing a board game, chasing my energetic Yorkiepoo puppy, planning how to tackle a new home improvement project, or completing various community service projects.
Eric's Financial Journey
Growing up, I learned the value of saving and spending money wisely, and had managed to save a small stash of cash by the time I emerged into adulthood. I thought to myself, "Eric, you don't have much to worry about - this money will last awhile!" Unfortunately, while I had learned about the need to save and spend wisely, I never actually assigned the dollars I had to specific priorities. Instead, I simply relied on the ever-changing balance of my bank account to tell me whether I could "afford" something. Relying on the account balance was better than nothing, but it didn't give me a concrete method for how to prioritize my spending and saving. As I progressed further into adulthood, the financial demands of college and the expenses of life quickly began to accumulate, and my small cash cushion was rapidly depleting. I quickly realized I needed a better way to manage my personal cash flow. In 2014, at the recommendation of a friend, I began to budget using a methodology called "You Need a Budget" (or, YNAB for short), which quickly became a significant help in securing greater control, clarity, and composure in my financial life.
Fast forward a few years to when I had finished college and graduate studies and began dating my (now) wife. At that time, it was clear we were both interested in committing to one another, but I was becoming increasingly concerned with the amount of debt we both would be carrying into a marriage. At the wise advice of a mentor, I eventually concluded my wife and I would be a strong team at working together to pay off our debts. Shortly after "tying the knot," we made a plan to pay off over $80,000 of our combined debt, and we did so within a couple of years of getting married with the help of our YNAB budget. It was not easy, but it was worth it! The freedom from debt has not only given us the ability to meet our daily needs and save for the future, but has also enabled us to give charitably and bless others as needs around us arise.
Over the years after paying off our debts, I have informally guided others toward having more "peace" around their finances. Now, as a financial coach, it is my desire to help others spend, save, and pay down debt so that they too can bless their families and the world with the resources (financial or otherwise) that have been placed into their care. With New Trajectories, I would love to help you achieve an enjoyable, steady, and generous financial future!
